The little clapboard house looks like a lot of others in Lamar, Mo. (pop. 4,500). But a large sign out front advertises its distinction. In 1882, John A. Truman, mule trader, bought the house for $685 and there Harry S. Truman was born.
Last week, Representative T. Fred Cline introduced a bill in the Missouri House of Representativesauthorizing up to $15,000 to purchase the house as a shrine. Republican Floor Leader William Cruce promptly pointed out that it was "a decrepit old house," and the whole property was assessed at only $600. Protested Cline: "There is a sentimental value....
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